Frances Fitzgerald
Question:431 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of new child care places created in the Dublin area from 1998 to the present date. [28882/01]
Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
As the Deputy may be aware, grants for child care service providers are available under my Department's equal opportunities child care programme, 2000-06. The programme is funded by the Government and the European Union under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Between 1998 and 1999 the programme allocated £3.9 million in the Dublin area for training and development projects, staffing and capital costs of child care groups and as part of the employer demonstration initiative. The main focus of the funding provided under the 1998-99 programme was on quality improvement through the funding of training, development and community support initiatives and as such, details on the number of child care places were not captured under that programme.
In April 2000 I launched the current programme, which is making £344 million, or 437 million, available nationally for the development of child care service provision. Under this programme the first grant allocations were announced in July 2000 and since then I have allocated more than £76 million, or 96 million, nationally which includes more than £64 million, or 80 million, to child care services on the ground and more than £12 million, or almost 16 million, on quality improvement projects. This funding will support more than 25,000 child care places nationally, including more than 11,000 new child care places. Since the first announcement of grants under the programme in July 2000, I have allocated more than £18 million, or 20 million, to 175 projects in County Dublin under the capital and staffing grant schemes of the child care programme. This funding will support 6,318 child care places and lead to the creation of 2,793 new child care places in County Dublin. The funding will also lead to improvements in quality and, in some cases, allow child care providers to extend their opening hours.